A Perfect Pairing

Located on the main drag of St. Helena in Napa Valley, Velo Vino showcases wines from the Clif Family Winery. (Jen See)

When Clif Bar owners Gary Erickson and Kit Crawford opened the cycling-themed Velo Vino tasting room in March 2011, they envisioned it as a gathering place for cyclists, wine lovers, and coffee drinkers.

“It’s a distillation of all the things we love, including Clif Bar,” says Erickson. “When it’s full and there’s kids running around, it’s our version of a piazza.”

Located in the vineyard town of St. Helena, at the northern end of California’s Napa Valley, Velo Vino showcases wine from the Clif Family Winery. For its estate wines, the winery sources grapes from the nearby Pope Valley farm and a hilltop vineyard in the Howell Mountain appellation, which is fast becoming known for its cabernet sauvignon. Those vineyards follow organic farming practices, which is increasingly common in Napa Valley.

“I would say many vineyards are certified organic, but they don’t promote it,” says Erickson. “If you promote it as organic grapes, then people think your wine is organic and people don’t buy organic wine. But a lot of good vintners will say their wine is better because of it.”

The cycling theme extends to the menu, which includes the Maillot Jaune and Passo di Gavia tastings. (Jen See)

In addition to cycling-themed tastings, such as the Passo di Gavia, which includes three of the vineyard’s current wines, Velo Vino offers food and wine pairings, as well as preserves and other products from the certified-organic Clif Family Farm, located nearby in the hills above St. Helena.

“Velo Vino had to have bikes involved and it had to have food,” says Crawford. “We have this farm and we’re growing all these vegetables. We have this fruit tree orchard and we’re preserving things and it’s just going crazy up here. And we wanted to share it.”

Crawford’s commitment to organic farming comes from growing up in California. She recalls television features during the 1970s on the consequences of pesticides for farm workers. “That seed started when I was a kid,” she says. “I remember watching television and hearing about the pesticides that were being spread on the crops. Wow, that’s pretty powerful stuff.”

Velo Vino is decorated with cycling memorabilia from Clif Bar athletes. Erickson’s first bike, which he named Fred, is also on display. Lugged steel with down-tube shifters, the bike took Erickson on his first adventures in the Italian mountains, including up the famed Passo di Gavia. “I miss Fred,” he says. “I spent so much time [in Italy] on Fred.”

Erickson has made many trips to Italy, where he likes to travel by bike with minimal gear. A typical tour may run 10 to 18 days, and he rarely reserves hotel rooms ahead. Together, Erickson and Crawford have ridden through the Dolomites—including once on a tandem—and around the Chianti wine-making region.

California wine country is also a cyclist’s playground, and it’s especially beautiful in the fall as the leaves in the vineyards turn red and gold. Velo Vino aims to be a starting point for cyclists looking to explore the local roads. Riders can set up bike rentals through Velo Vino and there are a variety of mapped routes available from cruises around town to longer road adventures. Riders are encouraged to take a seat at the counter and drink an espresso before heading out.

Fred shares Velo Vino with signed jerseys and photos from riders such as Luna's Alison Dunlap and Giro winners Andy Hampsten and Ryder Hesjedal. Catharine Pendrel's world championship-winning carbon Orbea bike is also on display. (Jen See)

Each October, the Clif Family Winery hosts a harvest festival party at the farm. This year, there were tours and grape stomping. The farm also demonstrated crafts such as beekeeping and cider-making. There was wood-fired pizza made fresh by Pizza Politana, a local-centric caterer that uses mobile wood-fired pizza ovens. The Winery’s limited-edition bordeaux mix, which they call The Climber, paired well with the wood-fired pizza and salad made with the farm’s organic tomatoes.

The day after the harvest festival, Erickson and Crawford led a ride for members of the Club Peloton wine club, who receive wine shipments four times a year. This year’s route started from the farm and dropped down into the scenic Pope Valley. The Napa area combines flat, valley roads with steep climbs on hills pushed up by ancient volcanoes. Sulfur springs rise to the surface, a reminder of the region’s explosive past. The ride traditionally includes some off-road adventuring as a tribute to Italy’s strade bianche.

Though Erickson and Crawford have only owned Velo Vino for a short time, they already can’t imagine living without it. “It’s amazing to bring together all these passions that people have,” he says.

“This is our community,” Crawford adds. “You can come here and bring your lunch and just hang out. We wanted it to feel like an oasis.”

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